Wave of Resignations Among IRIB Hosts
The wave of resignations among IRIB hosts following the death of Mahsa Amini and subsequent protests has been significant. The one-sided performance of the national media in dealing with public protests, ignoring demands, and biased treatment is not new. However, the scale and duration of the protests, along with the insistence of the national media to handle them in a biased manner and the growing public pressure for media figures and celebrities to take a stand, have led to an increasing number of people withdrawing their collaboration with this organization every day.
Barbad Babaei
Barbad Babaei, who had supported the protesters on his Instagram before resigning, wrote in an Instagram story: ‘I, Barbad Babaei, after twenty-four years in the media, announce that I will not host the program ‘Zoji No’ or any other program until the people of my land feel happy and content.’ Babaei was the host of programs such as ‘Shab Kook’ and ‘Zoji No’, and despite the audience’s expectation for the new season of ‘Zoji No’, he announced he would not host it. Previously, Peyman Dehkordi, an actor in the series ‘Gando’, also reacted to recent events in Iran by releasing a video and announcing his withdrawal from acting.
Mohammad Hasani
Mohammad Hasani, a host on the Health Network, also resigned from IRIB. In a post on his Instagram account, he announced that it had been 20 days since his farewell to IRIB. He continued, ‘For all the warnings, for all the words we swallowed, for all the ideas you told us to bring our own sponsors for, and for the budget you allocated to your own interests, for my own peace of mind, for you, my people.’
Peyman Sheikhi
Peyman Sheikhi, with 16 years of collaboration with IRIB, wrote in an Instagram post: ‘Every time I sat behind the radio microphone and in front of the television camera, I tried my best to convey a sense of hope and peace to my audience. The joy and awareness of the audience were important to me, and I loved the people dearly because I am one of them. These days, my spirit does not support continuing to host, so I say goodbye to radio and television. As a tradition at the end of all the programs I hosted on radio and television, I say: May your fortune be smooth, your honor constant, and may you be under the eternal protection of God’s love.’
Majid Ghazanfari
Majid Mirghazanfari also announced through a post that he does not intend to host programs on television. Majid Mirghazanfari was a host on the Health Network and, in recent years, one of the experts and hosts of environmental-related programs.
Kimia Gilani
Kimia Gilani was the host of the ‘Kahkeshaniha’ competition, which was broadcast live on Channel 5. The incident for her occurred when a film by Kian Pirfalak was shown during this competition. The broadcast of that film, which met with negative reactions from the audience, led Kimia Gilani to announce on her personal Twitter account that she would no longer host and would not return to television. Gilani wrote, ‘I, Kimia Gilani, since entering the field of hosting on July 6, 2006, have truly worked hard, studied, and had no goal but the happiness of my people. Now that my people’s hearts are not happy, there is no need for my presence, and I say goodbye to hosting on television.’
Mojtaba Pourbakhsh
Mojtaba Pourbakhsh, a former host and producer of the ‘Football Yek’ program, was not resigned but was fired from IRIB for supporting public protests. On November 1 and 12, he posted a picture of his car on Twitter, writing, ‘My father taught me not to sell my honor cheaply and not to extend my hand to the unworthy. I’ve put my car up for sale, but I won’t auction my dignity and intelligence.’ It is said that he is currently battling cancer, and the decision to sell the car is to cover medical expenses.
Farhad Farahbakhsh
Farhad Fakhrbakhsh, the host of the ‘Shoma va Sima’ program, also announced his resignation from collaborating with IRIB by releasing a video. Farhad Fakhrbakhsh is a producer in Iranian cinema and television. Among his most notable works is his involvement in the ‘Limo Tarsh’ program. In 2016, Farhad Fakhrbakhsh had a busy period in cinema and television and participated in producing a significant work. His important work that year was his involvement in the ‘Limo Tarsh’ program.
Majid Ghazanfari
Recently, Majid Mirghazanfari also announced the termination of his collaboration with IRIB, stating that he had worked for years in the organization to be the voice of demands and justice, but now feels there is no reason to stay in the media frame. Davood Abedi, a reporter, commentator, and host on the News Network, also announced through a post that he is withdrawing from television and IRIB.
Davood Abedi
Davood Abedi, who had been active for years as a reporter and host on the News Network and had reported and hosted many programs, recently announced through an Instagram post that he is stopping his collaboration with IRIB. He is the husband of Elmira Sharifi Moghadam, another famous host on the News Network and IRIB. Abedi was an active journalist at IRIB, but with recent events, he decided to stop his presence on television.
Ali Zia and Mahmoud Shahriari’s Travel Bans
Mahmoud Shahriari, a former IRIB host who had been banned from appearing on screen multiple times, was arrested in the early days following Mahsa Amini’s death for supporting public protests. News reports stated that Shahriari was arrested yesterday on a judicial order for inciting unrest and aligning with rioters. Ali Zia, a prominent television host and producer, was banned from leaving the country after recent events and posting several posts and stories in reaction to Mahsa Amini’s death, the lack of action against cinemas, and the rising dollar prices.
Zahra Khatami Rad
Resigning from collaboration with IRIB in protest of its biased performance is not new. In January 2019, just two months after the events of November that year, television host Zahra Khatami Rad posted a photo saying, ‘Yesterday, one of the senior managers of the organization called and said, ‘This is your home, don’t be mad at your home.’ I explained my reasons and thanked them. Today, I add this sentence: Shame on me if I return.’
Alongside these figures, Ehsan Karami can also be mentioned, who, although he had been residing in the United States for some time and had ended his collaboration with IRIB, began posting on social media and appearing on the ‘Manoto’ program with the start of public protests.